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Synonyms

butte

1 American  
[byoot] / byut /

noun

Western U.S. and Canada.

  1. an isolated hill or mountain rising abruptly above the surrounding land.

Butte 2 American  
[byoot] / byut /

noun

  1. a city in SW Montana: mining center.

butte British  
/ bjuːt /

noun

  1. an isolated steep-sided flat-topped hill

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
butte Scientific  
/ byo̅o̅t /

  1. A steep-sided hill with a flat top, often standing alone in an otherwise flat area. A butte is smaller than a mesa.

Etymology

Origin of butte

1650–60, < North American French; French: low hill, mound, Old French: landmark, target, apparently feminine derivative of but butt 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Borgquist assures me as we drive to the top that I’ll soon understand why this steep butte is perfect for energy storage.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2024

An Oregon butte unfortunately titled “Swastika Mountain” will be getting a new name in the near future.

From Washington Times • Aug. 24, 2022

One cold winter solstice day, we found ourselves alone on the summit of a rock-topped butte, watching transfixed as a huge black cloud barreled toward us in an otherwise blue sky.

From New York Times • Mar. 18, 2022

Zinke’s official portrait, which hangs at headquarters, shows him riding a horse in front of a tree-covered butte, a scene inspired by a photograph taken of him at Bears Ears.

From Washington Post • Feb. 16, 2022

The eagle screamed to announce his success, then flew toward a distant butte.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.